The Absent Author is the first book in the A to Z Mysteries series written by Ron Roy. Roy, who lives in Connecticut, where the book takes place, was inspired by his background as a fourth-grade teacher to become a children’s book author. Originally published in 1997, The Absent Author is the first book in which Dink Duncan and his friends Josh and Ruth Rose solve mysteries, introducing young readers to the mystery genre. The book explores themes including The Value of Reading, The Importance of Teamwork in Overcoming Challenges, and The Value of Observation in Problem-Solving.

This guide refers to the 1997 edition published by Scholastic Inc.

Plot Summary

At the beginning of the story, Dink and his friend Josh are preparing to go to the Book Nook, a local bookstore where Dink’s favorite author, Wallis Wallace, will be signing books. Dink has been exchanging letters with Wallace and is responsible for inviting the author to their town of Green Lawn. When he and Josh leave the house, they are joined by Dink’s next-door neighbor, Ruth Rose, who is also a fan of Wallace. The three children arrive at the Book Nook, where they find the author has not arrived. When the event is canceled, Dink reads over a letter he received from Wallace and is alarmed to notice that the author says that the only reason he would not show up is if he were kidnapped. Feeling responsible, Dink tells his friends his theory that Wallace has been kidnapped. A woman overhears them and tells them that her name is Mavis. She also has a letter from Wallis Wallace, in which Wallace says he thinks he is being followed. The children see the local police officer, Officer Fallon, who tells Dink and his friends not to worry.

The children go back inside the bookstore; the owner, Mr. Paskey, looks nervous. Dink tells Mr. Paskey his kidnapping theory. Mr. Paskey gives Dink Wallace’s itinerary from the night before, which the children use to retrace the author’s steps. Dink, Mavis, Ruth Rose, and Josh go to Ellie’s Diner, where they order ice cream. Dink uses the phone to call the airport, where he learns that Wallace’s flight arrived on time with him on it. Dink crosses the flight off the itinerary.

Next on the list is the cab company. Ruth Rose tells Dink that Lawrence Cab Company is by the river, so the team heads over. When they arrive, the man behind the counter points them to the cab driver, Maureen Higgins, who is eating her lunch out back. She tells the children that she picked Wallace up from the airport and dropped him off at the Shangri-la Hotel. She describes his outfit as “spooky” and says that he was smiling even though he didn’t speak a word the entire ride. Dink crosses the cab company off the itinerary.

The children make their way to the Shangri-la hotel. The man at the front desk is named Mr. Linkletter, and he tells Dink and his friends that he cannot divulge information about the Shangri-la guests because it is against hotel rules. He does call Wallace’s room to check on him but receives no answer. While Mr. Linkletter’s back is turned, Josh reads the hotel registry and sees that Wallace checked into Room 303 at 8:05 pm. The only other entry is someone who checked into Room 302 10 minutes later, but their name is smudged.

Just then, a man who works at the Shangri-la overhears Dink’s conversation and hands Dink a note. The note contains the name and address of Olivia Nugent, the housekeeper who cleaned the third floor. It turns out that Olivia used to babysit Ruth Rose. When the team arrives at the Acorn Apartments, where Olivia lives, she answers the door alongside two children. Dink asks about Room 303, and Olivia tells them that it was spotless: No one slept in the room the night before.

The team decides to take a lunch break and then to meet back at the Shangri-la at two o’clock. Mavis eats lunch at the diner, and the three children go to Dink’s house to have a picnic. While they eat, they use their food to recreate the course of events and to get a new perspective. Remembering something she read in the Wallace mysteries, Ruth Rose says they should learn more about the victim. The three children put their heads together and start to pour over all of their copies of the Wallis Wallace novels. They learn that Wallace’s favorite color is green and that he lives in a castle in Maine called Moose Manor.

Dink and his friends meet back up with Mavis at the Shangri-la. She is still wearing the red scarf, which they notice is emblazoned with tiny letter Ms. They tell Mr. Linkletter what they heard from Olivia about the unoccupied room. Mr. Linkletter seems concerned and takes them upstairs to check out the situation. They open the door, and just as Olivia said, Wallace is not there. Just then, the team hears muffled cries of help from the room next door. When they open the door to Room 302, they see a man with curly blond hair tied to a chair. He tells them that he is Wallis Wallace and that two unidentified men kidnapped him and tied him up. He says he can’t wait to get back to his safe little cabin in Maine. Then Ruth Rose points at Mavis and accuses her of being the real Wallis Wallace. She asks to borrow Mavis’s scarf and shows Dink and Josh that the Ms are upside-down Ws. She says that Wallace lives in a castle in Maine, not a cottage, and that his favorite color is green—the same color as Mavis’s last name, as well as the ice cream she ordered. Mavis admits that she is Wallis Wallace and says she conceals her identity to do valuable research without being recognized by fans. She introduces her brother, Walker, who is the person who was tied to the chair, and then explains how she orchestrated the entire mystery just for Dink and his friends.